The present invention is directed to compositions containing fibers and at least three film formers: at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water; at least one tacky film former soluble in oil; and at least one additional film former soluble or dispersible in water. The invention can be useful as a base composition for pre-treating eyelashes prior to application of mascara. When used under any typical mascara composition, the inventive base composition may provide volume or length to eyelashes.
The use of fibers in mascara compositions to lengthen or volumize eyelashes is known in the art. However, the inclusion of fibers in these compositions has presented various possible difficulties. Primary among the possible drawbacks of fiber use has been undesirable flaking and detachment of the fibers from the eyelashes due to the insufficient adhesive properties of the film formers in the mascara. Such flaking also made it difficult to apply more than one coat of mascara, as the application of subsequent coats was found to further act to detach fibers from the lashes.
Accordingly, there existed a desire in the art to find a way to use fibers to obtain enhanced volume and/or length for eyelashes without the disadvantages of flaking and detachment of the fibers. It was also desired to use fibers but also obtain ease of application. Development of such compositions involves a difficult balance, as the tackiness of film formers used in a fiber-containing cosmetic composition, particularly for use on eyelashes, must be enough to prevent the fibers from flaking off over time, but not so tacky that the composition is not easily removable from the eyelashes and is sticky and uncomfortable.
The present invention addresses these issues. Accordingly, the present invention, in one aspect, provides a cosmetic composition comprising at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water; at least one tacky film former soluble in oil; at least one additional film former soluble or dispersible in water; and fibers. When the inventive composition is used as a base composition for mascara, the combination of tacky film formers can, in at least some embodiments, allow the fibers applied in the base composition to remain intact on the eyelashes without flaking when the mascara is applied on top of the base. The combination of tacky film formers can, in at least some embodiments, also provide enough tackiness to allow the mascara to stick to the base when the mascara is applied on top of the base.
In another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for pre-treating eyelashes prior to application of mascara by applying to the eyelashes a fiber-containing composition as described above. In yet another aspect, the invention is drawn to a method for providing volume and/or length to eyelashes by first applying to the eyelashes a fiber-containing base composition as described above and then applying a mascara composition to the eyelashes directly on top of the base composition. In at least certain embodiments of the invention, the need for multiple applications of mascara to achieve volume and length is eliminated.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The invention, in one aspect, provides a cosmetic composition comprising at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water; at least one tacky film former soluble in oil; at least one additional film former soluble or dispersible in water; and fibers. The composition of the invention can be used as a base composition for mascara. The fibers in the composition may act to provide length and/or volume to the eyelashes but also can be stable on the eyelashes such that when the mascara is applied on top of the base, the fibers stay on the eyelashes. The instantaneous results after mascara application may include visibly longer, thicker lashes. The composition of the invention may also be easy to apply, easy to remove, water-resistant and comfortable to wear. For purposes of this invention, xe2x80x9ctackyxe2x80x9d is defined as sticky or adhesive to the touch.
Also, for purposes of this invention, the term xe2x80x9csoluble or dispersible in waterxe2x80x9d means that the substance in question will not precipitate out or coagulate, i.e., that it dissolves up to the limit of saturation. The term xe2x80x9csoluble in oilxe2x80x9d means xe2x80x9cmiscible in oilxe2x80x9d; in other words, if a substance is not soluble in oil, it is immiscible, forming distinct layering in the oil phase, an indication that the substance is not compatible or soluble in the oil phase.
The at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water is chosen from polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetates (such as FULATEX (R) sold by H. B. Fuller Co.), vinylpyrrolidone/acrylates/lauryl methacrylate copolymer (such as STYLEZE 2000 sold by ISP), acrylates/C1-2 succinates/hydroxyacrylates copolymer (such as ALLIANZ LT-120 sold by ISP), PVP/DMAPA acrylates copolymer (such as STYLEZE CC-10 sold by ISP) cellulose acetate phthalate aqueous dispersion (such as AQUACOAT CPD sold by FMC Corp.), and crosslinked poly (2-ethylhexyl acrylate) in water (such as GEL-TAC 100 series sold by API). In one embodiment, the at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water is polyvinyl alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol is available, for example, from Air Products in different hydrolysis grades under the tradename AIRVOL. The at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water may be present in the composition in an amount ranging from 0.5% to 25% relative to the total weight of the composition. In another embodiment, the at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water may be present in an amount ranging from 1% to 15%, relative to the total weight of the composition. In still another embodiment, the at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water may be present in an amount ranging from 1% to 10%, relative to the total weight of the composition.
The at least one tacky film former soluble in oil is chosen from hydrogenated polyisobutenes, adipic acid/diethylene glycol/glycerin crosspolymers (such as that sold as LEXOREZ 100 by Inolex), polyethylenes, polyvinyl laurates, and synthetic terpene based resins (such as PICCOLYTE A115 and C115, sold by Hercules). In one embodiment, the at least one oil-soluble tacky film former is chosen from hydrogenated polyisobutenes. Hydrogenated polyisobutenes are available from, for example, Collaborative Laboratories, East Setauket, N.Y., under the name POLYSYNLANE. In one embodiment, the hydrogenated polyisobutenes to be used in the claimed invention have a weight average molecular weight of greater than 1500. In another embodiment, the hydrogenated polyisobutenes have a weight average molecular weight greater than 2000 and in yet another embodiment, greater than 3000. The at least one tacky film former soluble in oil may, for example, be present in the composition in an amount ranging from 1% to 45%, relative to the total weight of the composition. In one embodiment, the at least one tacky film former soluble in oil is present in the composition in an amount ranging from 3% to 30%, relative to the total weight of the composition. In yet another embodiment, the at least one tacky film former soluble in oil may be present in the composition in an amount ranging from 3% to 20%, relative to the total weight of the composition.
The at least one additional film former is chosen from the list of film formers set forth on pages 1744-1747 of the CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, 8th edition (2000), and is different from the at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water and the at least one tacky film former soluble in oil discussed above. In one embodiment, the at least one additional film former is polyvinylpyrrolidone. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is available from, for example, ISP in different viscosity grades under the tradenames PVP K. The at least one additional film former may, for example, be present in the composition in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 10% relative to the total weight of the composition. In a further embodiment, the at least one additional film former is present in an amount ranging from 1% to 6% relative to the total weight of the composition.
The fibers useful in the present invention may be chosen from natural and synthetic fibers. Natural fibers include, but are not limited to cotton, silk, wool, and other keratin fibers. Synthetic fibers include, but are not limited to, polyester, rayon, nylon and other polyamide fibers. The fibers may, for example, be present in the composition in an amount ranging from 0.5% to 10% relative to the total weight of the composition. In a further embodiment, the fibers are present in an amount ranging from 1% to 5% relative to the total weight of the composition. In one embodiment, the fibers may, for example, have an average length ranging from 0.5 mm to 4.0 mm, such as from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.
It is also possible to add to the composition of the invention any additives customarily used in cosmetic compositions, such as: thickening agents, preservatives, UV-screening agents, pigments, fillers, polymer resins, volatile solvents, and waxes.
Not to be limited by theory, the inventors have discovered that, in one embodiment, the inventive composition may be in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion. In such an emulsion, it is advantageous to have a tacky film former in each of the aqueous (external) and oil (internal) phases of the emulsion. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the aqueous phase of the emulsion contains the at least one tacky film former soluble or dispersible in water and the at least one additional film former and the oil phase contains the at least one tacky film former soluble in oil.
The present invention also provides for a method for pre-treating eyelashes prior to application of mascara by applying to the eyelashes a composition as described above. The tacky film formers work together to help the fibers sufficiently adhere to the eyelashes so that when the mascara is applied on top of the inventive base composition, the fibers remain on the lashes. When only one of the required tacky film formers is present, the adherence of the fibers on the lashes is lessened.
The present invention also relates to a method for providing volume and/or length to eyelashes by applying to the eyelashes a base composition as described above and then applying a mascara composition to the eyelashes directly on top of the base composition. Thus, the base compositions of the invention may be used to control the volume and extending or lengthening effect of mascara on eyelashes.